The Funeral
Everyone was quiet on the car ride there.
Lucas had picked up Peyton that morning and together the two of them had driven to get Mouth. He was sitting quietly in the backseat and Peyton noticed Lucas' eyes watching him worriedly in the rear view mirror. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing seemed right, so she closed it again. They pulled to a stop at the graveyard and Peyton let Mouth help her out of the car while Lucas got her crutches out of the back.
"Where's the ceremony at?" She asked the boys as she settled herself onto her crutches and looked around. Lucas nodded his head to indicate the top of a large slope and Peyton let out a soft groan.
With Mouth and Lucas supporting her on either side, they made their way up the hill. When they got to the top, Peyton could see Ms. Edwards standing alone beside Jimmy's closed casket. She looked over at them, seemingly startled to see anyone. She used a handkerchief to wipe her cheeks and approached the three of them. She watched Peyton carefully..."You're her aren't you?" She said after a moment, her tired eyes still damp from tears. "You're the girl that he...that he..." Peyton nodded slowly, unsure of what would happen next. The older woman seemed to struggle for a moment, before throwing her arms around Peyton in a fierce hug. Peyton wobbled slightly on her good leg before she gingerly began to hug Ms. Edwards back. After Peyton, Jimmy's tearful mother turned to hug Mouth, and then Lucas.
Looking over her shoulder, Peyton could see Luke's river-court friends on their way over. Rachel wasn't far behind them. And soon they were joined by Brooke and Chris, then Nathan and Haley. Keith and Karen came next, and last to arrive was Jake, looking somber and a little uncomfortable.
As the preacher started the service, Peyton closed her eyes and thought of the other funerals she had been to. Ms. Edwards leaned against Lucas and cried. Losing Anna and Ellie had been the hardest thing Peyton had ever had to do, but she was sure it was nothing compared to losing a child. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as her heart ached for Jimmy's mother.
After the service the preacher left quietly, followed not long afterward by Karen and Keith. None of the others moved though. Lucas and Mouth and the boys from the River-court seemed reluctant to leave Ms Edwards, and the others stood by, watching quietly. Peyton's head jerked up when she heard new footsteps approaching. Mark Brandon stood a few meters away, scowling at them with a few of his friends from the lacrosse team. Getting an immediate bad vibe from their presence, Peyton reached out and touched Lucas' arm softly, but he had already noticed them too.
Eying them closely, but without saying a word, Mark closed the distance between himself and the grave. He gave Lucas a spiteful look and spit on the top of Jimmy's casket.
[Open to Everyone]
Lucas had picked up Peyton that morning and together the two of them had driven to get Mouth. He was sitting quietly in the backseat and Peyton noticed Lucas' eyes watching him worriedly in the rear view mirror. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing seemed right, so she closed it again. They pulled to a stop at the graveyard and Peyton let Mouth help her out of the car while Lucas got her crutches out of the back.
"Where's the ceremony at?" She asked the boys as she settled herself onto her crutches and looked around. Lucas nodded his head to indicate the top of a large slope and Peyton let out a soft groan.
With Mouth and Lucas supporting her on either side, they made their way up the hill. When they got to the top, Peyton could see Ms. Edwards standing alone beside Jimmy's closed casket. She looked over at them, seemingly startled to see anyone. She used a handkerchief to wipe her cheeks and approached the three of them. She watched Peyton carefully..."You're her aren't you?" She said after a moment, her tired eyes still damp from tears. "You're the girl that he...that he..." Peyton nodded slowly, unsure of what would happen next. The older woman seemed to struggle for a moment, before throwing her arms around Peyton in a fierce hug. Peyton wobbled slightly on her good leg before she gingerly began to hug Ms. Edwards back. After Peyton, Jimmy's tearful mother turned to hug Mouth, and then Lucas.
Looking over her shoulder, Peyton could see Luke's river-court friends on their way over. Rachel wasn't far behind them. And soon they were joined by Brooke and Chris, then Nathan and Haley. Keith and Karen came next, and last to arrive was Jake, looking somber and a little uncomfortable.
As the preacher started the service, Peyton closed her eyes and thought of the other funerals she had been to. Ms. Edwards leaned against Lucas and cried. Losing Anna and Ellie had been the hardest thing Peyton had ever had to do, but she was sure it was nothing compared to losing a child. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as her heart ached for Jimmy's mother.
After the service the preacher left quietly, followed not long afterward by Karen and Keith. None of the others moved though. Lucas and Mouth and the boys from the River-court seemed reluctant to leave Ms Edwards, and the others stood by, watching quietly. Peyton's head jerked up when she heard new footsteps approaching. Mark Brandon stood a few meters away, scowling at them with a few of his friends from the lacrosse team. Getting an immediate bad vibe from their presence, Peyton reached out and touched Lucas' arm softly, but he had already noticed them too.
Eying them closely, but without saying a word, Mark closed the distance between himself and the grave. He gave Lucas a spiteful look and spit on the top of Jimmy's casket.
[Open to Everyone]